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“Salmon, no? Pescado. Tres.”

The waiter stared, wide-eyed, as if I had just ordered an exotic meal. Or my feeble attempt at Spanish had rendered him speechless.

He was probably aghast that we were in Buenos Aires, Argentina – the beef capital of the world – and three out of our party of four had wanted pescado or fish. Salmon wasn’t on the menu but that didn’t stop me from asking – if no salmon, then any pescado will do.

The desperation stemmed from nearly a week-long carnivore diet of grilled, stewed and stuffed meat. The kids had even started comparing pasta to char koay teow. Alas, Asian restaurants were few and far between, and nowhere close to where we were putting up for the week. The day before, we walked half a kilometre to a Chinese restaurant, only to fork out the equivalent of RM100 for unpalatable fried rice and noodles. I kept reminding myself that we certainly didn’t travel 42 hours here from Penang for Asian cuisine, but for a slice of Argentine culture, nature and adventure. Thankfully, we found that aplenty, with Buenos Aires setting the stage for our three-week vacation in Argentina.

In step to the seductive beat of the tango, Buenos Aires lulled us with its vibe and allure. The cosmopolitan city has no shortage of art, antiques and architecture of European and Latin American influence. In fact, the locals who call themselves Portenos (people from the port) consider Buenos Aires as the most European capital in the world – and their people the most beautiful.

Upon arrival, we encountered well-groomed immigration officers who looked like they had stepped out of movie sets. Even police constables on the streets could... (Read More)